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Philadelphia Parkinson's Disease CommUNITY Rallied At Rocky Statue Launching New Public Awareness Campaign From The Parkinson's Unity Walk Organization And Teva

Apr 18, 2014 3:00am

"CommUNITY: Carrying the PD Torch" Campaign Seeks to Empower and Provide Support for PD Patients

FRAZER, Pa., April 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Teva Pharmaceuticals, makers of AZILECT® (rasagiline tablets) a once-daily treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), and the Parkinson's Unity Walk (PUW) announces the launch of a public awareness campaign, "CommUNITY: Carrying the PD Torch," to support Parkinson's disease (PD) patients during Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month in April. The campaign aims to empower patients to set their goals and work to achieve them by uniting the community and encouraging patients in their PD journey.

The "CommUNITY: Carrying the PD Torch," campaign kicked off on April 2 in Philadelphia at 11 AM – 12 PM EST at the Rocky monument, which was blanketed in tulips, the worldwide symbol of PD. A Parkinson's disease patient, Susan Battagliese, was onsite to share her experience with Parkinson's disease and Daniel Kremens M.D., Jefferson University Hospital Physician and Co-Director, Movement Disorders Program, spoke on recent developments in PD.

The campaign will culminate at the 20th Annual Parkinson's Unity Walk in Central Park on April 26, where a torch of tulips will be brought from the Rocky monument to the Teva booth at the Walk. The Parkinson's Unity Walk is the largest grassroots fundraiser for Parkinson's research in the country and 100 percent of donations support research funded by seven major Parkinson's organizations. Attendees at the Parkinson's Unity Walk are encouraged to visit Teva's booth for information on Parkinson's disease and to participate in a goal-reaching activity.

"We're extremely pleased to partner with Teva during PD Awareness Month," said Carol Walton, CEO of The Parkinson Alliance, the umbrella organization for the Parkinson's Unity Walk. "It's important to bring together patients and educate the community about PD."

"Having a strong community support system – my family, friends and a dedicated health care team is what has allowed me to live my life to the fullest, despite my diagnosis," said Susan Battagliese. "It is important to raise awareness for PD so the community has a better understanding of the disease and the patient journey."

To learn more about Parkinson's disease, please visit ParkinsonsHealth.com.

"Teva is committed to educating the community about Parkinson's disease as awareness is essential to helping patients reach their goals," said Mike Derkacz, vice president and general manager, Teva CNS. "We aim to motivate people living with PD to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow an effective treatment regimen so they can live their life to the fullest."

#PDCommUNITY – Raising Awareness of Parkinson's Disease Through Pictures To further raise awareness about Parkinson's Disease Awareness Month, attendees of the "CommUNITY: Carry the PD Torch" launch and the Parkinson's Unity Walk are encouraged to upload photos onto Twitter and Instagram from the events using the tag, #PDCommUNITY.

About Parkinson's DiseaseParkinson's disease is an age-related degenerative disorder of the brain. Symptoms can include tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement, and impaired balance. PD affects more than one million people in the U.S. and more than four million people worldwide.[i]

About AZILECT® (rasagiline tablets)

Indication

AZILECT® (rasagiline tablets) is indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) both as initial therapy alone and to be added to levodopa later in the disease.

Important Safety Information

Do not take AZILECT if you are taking meperidine as it could result in a serious reaction such as coma or death. Also, do not take AZILECT with tramadol, methadone, propoxyphene, dextromethorphan, St. John's wort, or cyclobenzaprine. You also should not take AZILECT with other monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs).

Inform your physician if you are taking, or planning to take, any prescription or over-the-counter drugs, especially antidepressants and ciprofloxacin. If you have moderate to severe liver disease, you should not take AZILECT. You should not exceed a dose of 1 mg per day of AZILECT in order to prevent a possibly dangerous increase in blood pressure. All PD patients should be monitored for melanoma (skin cancer) on a regular basis.

The Parkinson's Unity Walk (PUW), a grassroots organization, began in 1994 through the dedicated efforts of patients, families, support groups, and friends who were affected by Parkinson's disease. Their main goal was to raise awareness and funds for research to find a cure for Parkinson's. Over the last nineteen years, the Unity Walk has grown from 200 participants in the first event to over to 10,000 participants in the 2013 Walk. The funds raised for the Walk have also dramatically increased with each passing year. In 1994, the Unity Walk raised $16,000 in research funds, and in 2013 over $1,700,000 was raised for Parkinson's research.

For more information on the Parkinson's Unity Walk or how to register for the upcoming walk in New York City, please visit unitywalk.org. You can also follow the Unity Walk on social media sites including Facebook (Parkinson's Unity Walk), Twitter (@unitywalk) and Instagram (unitywalk).

About Teva

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company, committed to increasing access to high-quality healthcare by developing, producing and marketing affordable generic drugs as well as innovative and specialty pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world's leading generic drug maker, with a global product portfolio of more than 1,000 molecules and a direct presence in approximately 60 countries. Teva's Specialty Medicines businesses focus on CNS, respiratory oncology, pain, and women's health therapeutic areas as well as biologics. Teva currently employs approximately 45,000 people around the world and reached $20.3 billion in net revenues in 2013.